Safety guard for coasting sleds



April 3 1951 M. A. HOLBROOK SAFETY GUARD FOR COASTING SLEDS Original Filed June 15, 1941 INVENTOR. MAX A. HOLBROOK ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 3, 1951 SAFETY GUARD FOR COASTING SLEDS Max A. Holbrook, Goldwater, Mich., assignor to Pratt Manufacturing Company,

Goldwater,

Mich., a limited copartnership Original application June 13, 1941, Serial No. 397,847. Divided and this application April 14, 1945, Serial No. 588,354 r The present invention relates to safety coasting sleds provided with means for guarding or eliminating the sharp ends of the runner.

The present application is a division of my Patent No.' 2,390,256,,filed June 13, 1941.

It is one object of the invention to provide a safety sled in which the rearwardly extendin end portions of the runners ar covered or protected by guard means connecting said end portions to other parts of the sled; thereby preventing the painful cuts or injuries to children which have often occurred heretofore because of accidental bodily contact with the sharp, projecting, unprotected runner ends of conventional sleds.

Another object of the invention is to provide runner protecting means which may be incorporated in a sled structure having the usual wooden side rails.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide runner protecting means of the foregoing general character which may be utilized with runners bent at their end portions; and to provide protecting means which may be utilized to guard the sharp ends of conventional straight ended runners. Furthermore, my runner protecting means may be incorporated in a conventional sled structure without requiring material alterations to that structure; and without requiring parts of the sled to be especially constructed for use with said means. Consequently, my runner protecting means may be readil incorporated in newly manufactured sleds or added to previously manufactured ones, thus being adapted for widespread use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide runner protecting means simple in construction but most effective in use, and which may be produced inexpensively, all of which makes said means still further adapted for widespread use and therefore adapted to provide practical protection for a maximum number of children.

Other objects of the present invention will appear in the following description and appended claim, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a sled construction embodying one form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the rear portion of a sled structure embodying another form of the invention;

1 Claim. (Cl. 28012) Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the rear portion of a sled structure embodying still another form of the present invention, with a portion in section to show more clearly the means for connecting the runner ends with other parts of the sled structure.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

One preferred embodiment of my invention is shown herein by Way of example in Fig. 1. As there shown, the sled structure may include a platform or deck indicated generally at I0. This platform or deck may be of any suitable structure; for instance, it may comprise slats or boards, as shown in Fig. 1, attached to suitable transverse supports or bolsters II disposed between the deck at various points where required. Extending along each side of the sled construction is one of a pair of wooden side rails I2 and I3. Viewing the sled from back to front, the side rail I2 is disposed along the left side of the sled structure, and the side rail I3 is disposed along the right side thereof. These side rails are supported by the laterally extending ends of the bolsters I I; and are secured thereto by any suitable fastening elements, such as the rivets I4, It and I5, I5. These side rails I2 and I3 are provided with extending end portions projecting rearwardly of the rear bolster I I.

In view of the foregoing, it will be understood that the platform or deck 50, the bolsters I I, and the side rails I2 and I3 form a top member or portion of the sled structure to which the remaining parts of said structure are attached.

Among such remaining parts of the sled structure are the runners I6 and H, which are connected to the aforesaid top portion, and are vertically spaced therefrom. These runners may be connected to the top portion by any suitable means, for example, supports or knees I8 and I9 may be attached to the runners and also to the lower side of the bolsters II in the manner indicated clearly in Fig. 1. In this connection, the rivets I4, I4 and I5, l5 utilized to connect the side rails I2 and I3 to bolsters II, may also connect the supports or knees I8 and I9 to said bol-. sters as also shown in Fig. 1. However, separate rearwardly extending fastening means may be utilized to connect the knees to the bolsters; and also to connect the bolsters to the side rails, if preferred. It will be observed that one of the pair of runners I6 and I! is disposed in substantially the same vertical plane with one of the ,pair of side rails I2 and J3. Accordingly, throughout most of its length the left runner I5 underlies the left side rail I2, While the right runner I'l similarl underlies the right side rail I3. However, the rearwardly extending ends of the runners are connected to the rearwardly extending ends of the side rails in :the manner explained hereinafter.

The runners I6 and I? extend upwardly and forwardly at their front ends andare .fixed to a suitable bumper bar in the manner indicated in Fig. 1. However, this particular structural feature does not pertain to the present invention and is therefore not described in detail. Furthermore, the steeringmechanism as well as the metallic sidebar members 12a and I-3a, all of which are illustrated in Fig. '1, may be of any suitable construction so that a detailed description thereof is not necessary herein.

As shown in Fig. l,the runners l6 and-Ii are provided with rearwardly extending portion projecting beyond the rear knees I9. These rearwardly extending portions are upwardly turned or bent, as shown at 28 and H. Moreover, the portions of the runners it and Ilpreferably project in a rearward direction further than the extending portions of the side rails I2 and'I3. Also, the bent portions 29 and 2i of the runners preferably-terminate somewhat below the horizontal plane in which the side rails I2 and i3 are disposed. Accordingly, the rear ends of the runners It and H are preferably spaced rearwardly of and below the rear ends of the side rails I2 and I3 respectively.

As indicated above, the reference numerals 22 and '23 represent a pairof angularly bent metallic tubular members. .Asshown in Fig. 1, each of these members isniounted on one of the side .rails i 2 or $3 and is telescoped over one of the upwardlybent endsZllor 2% of the runners -I 6 and i1. Since the. side rails are usually generally eylindrically shaped, the tubular member22 ispreferably generally circular in cross section and is dimensioned to provide a substantially cylindrical tube suited toreceivethe .side rail 52. However, the tubular member "22 may be oval, or of any .other configuration suited to receive the side rail I2 if said side rail is not cylindrically shaped. Thus, the tubular member 22 may be telescoped over the extending end of the side rail l2, and is "fixed thereto. Any suitable fastening element may be used to securethe tubular member'ifz to the side rail I2. For example, the rivet shown at I5 may be utilized for this purpose in addition to holding the side rail I2 to the bolster II and the bolster H to the knee I9. It will be understood, however, that a separate'fastening element may be utilized to secure the tubular member 22 tothe side rail i2.

As illustrated in Fig. l, the tubularmemberyZZ extends rearwardly in the same generalplane as theside rail I2 until it liessubstantially above the end of the upwardly bent portion ,of the runner IS. The tubular member 22 atapproximately that point then bends downwardly and" However, it does not necessarily 4 have to extend rearwardly in the same general plane as the side rail I2 until it is thus bent. It may be curved or bent other than right angularly; and in any sutiable way, provided that it is constructed to be mounted on the side rail I2 and to fitover .the upturned .end 20 of -;the runner IS. The bent end 20 may extend within the tubular member 22 to any suitable extent; and

the tubular member 22 does not necessarily have to snugly fit .over the bent end of the runner, although the tubular member 22 may be shaped to provide suchasnug fit, if desired. Also, it will be understood that the tubular member 22 is suitably constructed to fit over the end of the runner 20 no Jnatter where that runner may terminate. Thus, the member 22 may extend to a greater or lesser extent ,beyond and rearwardly of the end of the side rail I2, depending upon whether the runner 2B is bent up near the knee I9 or further rearwardly thereof.

The tubular .member 23 .ismountedontheside rail I3 and telescopedover the ,end 2| ,of (the runner I! in a manner comparable to that of the tubularmember 22, describedin detailabove.

extending ,parts of the present safety sledare he wnwardly it lesce ins .p s o th .m mbers 22 and 23 and the rounded pol tio ns 2Il and 2| of the runners. Since these mernbersprovide a rounded, more orless'continuous surface, itwill be readily understood that bodily ,contact with thissurface does not involveirisk -o f inju y.

I n-Fig.2 there is illustrated/another form .of the present-invention. In this f Qr n, 'the nonstructionof the sled is the same asJthat described in connection with the embodiment 10f the invention shown inFig. 1;exceptf or the formation of the rearrunner ends and -the connection thereof'to the side rails. ,Asshown fin Fig. 2, the rearwardly extending end -portions bf the runners (the runner I6 being,the.-only one shown) are not only upturned butara generally arcuately bent and extend forwardly of the sled. This brand is so formed that the runners terminate immediately adjacent and beneath the end portion of the rearwardly, extendin partofthe side rails. The bend of'the runner I6 ,to so terminate adjacent the. side rail I2 is illustrated in-Fig. ,Zand" the runner I'Iis similarly bent ,to terminate adjacent the side rail I'3,.al,though..it is not expressly illustrated'in Fig. 2. The portion of the runners 16 and I! thus positioned are then respectively fastened to the rearwardly extending ends of theside rails I2 and I3Wby suitable fastening elements, such .as; the rivets 24. It Will therefore be understood-that this construction shown in Fig. 2 also elminates sharp extending runner endsrinasmuch as the extending runner ends.

not bent in any direction at their extending rear end portions. In this modification of the invention, there is utilized a bent metallic piece 25 which is secured to the extremity of the rearwardly projecting end of the runner IE as by rivets or other fastening elements in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. In this regard, the metallic piece 25 may possess a 'slot adapted to fit over the upwardly projecting ridge portion of the runner I6. However, this metallic piece 25 is positioned at the extremity of the runner l6 and covers or protects the sharp projecting end thereof. This bent metallic piece 25 extends generally upwardly and forwardly of the sled and terminates within a slot 26 formed in the rearwardly extending end portion of the side rail l2. This terminal part of the metal piece 25 is secured in the slot 29 by anysuitable means. For instance, the pin or rivet shown in 21 may be employed. It will be readily understood that the metallic bent piece 25 serves as a guard or protecting means for the sharp rearwardly extending end of the runner 15. It will also be readily understood that the runner 17, although not shown in Fig. 3 is provided with a metallic piece similar to the piece 25. This metallic piece connects the extremity of the runner l1 to the side rail It, also not shown, in the same manner described immediately above in connection with the runner is and side rail l2.

In Fig. 4 there is illustrated a further modification of the invention. As there shownfthe rear knee I9 is provided with a generally rearwardly and downwardly extending leg 3| which terminates in an end part possessing a slot fitted over the upwardly projecting ridge of the runner l6. This leg 94 may be secured to the runner at that point by any suitable means, such as 'the rivet illustrated in Fig. 4. It will be noted that the extremity of the leg 3: extends over and covers the extremity of the runner l6; and thereby provides guard means protecting the user of the sled from the injury through contact with the sharp end of the runner It. A rear knee of similar construction may be employed to the runner i5 is inserted in the slot in the downwardly bent part 32 of the side rail, and the runner and rail are held in this assembled relation by any suitable means, such as the rivet or pin 33.

However, any suitable fastening means may be utilized for this purpose. Also, it is preferable to provide an annulus or ring 3 3 surrounding the downturned portion 32 of the side rail 12 at the connection between the rail and the runner It. This ring 3*? reinforces and strengthens the wooden side rail at that point, and tends to prevent splitting of the side rail. In view of the connection between the upturned portion 29 of the runner it and the downturned portion 32 of the side rail l2, it is apparent that the end of the runner I 5 is covered by the said downturned portion 32 and is thereby guarded. Accordingly, the user of the sled is not subject to the risk of injury due to sharp extending ends of the runner 55. Of course, the runner it can be protected in an entirely similar way.

In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that my invention provides a simple, inexpensive but effective guard mean for the runner ends of sleds, which means may be utilized with a minimum of changes in conventional sled structures, and which may be utilized to protect straightended or Lip-bent runner ends. Thus, my invention is adapted for widespread use on newly fabricated sleds or may be added to prefabricated sleds to protect children from the painful cuts or injuries heretofore too often sustained by them because of accidental bodily contact with the sharp projecting rear runner ends of conventional sleds.

I claim:

A sled construction comprising a top deck having a transverse bolster, a pair of side rails extending along the sides of said deck and. terminating in rearwardly extending ends, said rails being positioned respectively on the opposite ends of said transverse bolster, a pair of runners under lying said rails and being connected to said deck one end telescoped over one of the rearwardly extending endsof said rails and its other end telescoped over the upturned free end of the corresponding underlying runner, and means securing each of said rails and its respective guard member to the said transverse bolster.

MAX A. HOLBROOK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Number Name Date 742,485 Perry Oct. 27, 1903 1,722,012 Michilli July 23, 1929 2,183,638 Bowen et a1 Dec. 19, 1939 2,233,012 I-Iolbrook Feb. 25, 1941 2,289,426 I-Iolbrook July 14, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number 1 Country Date 85,550 Austria Sept. 10, 1921 

